A brief history of West Oakland

In the 50’s and the 60’s, when an industrial boom filled the shipyard with good jobs, many blacks came from the south and settled in West Oakland. People called it the second gold rush.

Since then, the neighborhood has undergone seismic changes. Once a hub for movements like the Black Panther Party and Students for a Democratic Society (SDS), the low rent and proximity to San Francisco has more recently attracted a young creative class.

Oakland North reporter Tasion Kwamilele explores the history of West Oakland from the perspective of her family and other long-time residents who have watched it change.